Rescue Stories

Every animal has a story. Here are a few of the lives you've helped change.

Cardi

Rescued January 2025

Over the years, Animalkind founder Eli Abasi encountered a recurring winter problem: cardinals would become disoriented during snowy weather, collide with windows, and be left stunned and temporarily unable to fly. When Eli found them, he would gently move the birds to safety, offer them water, and watch over them while they recovered. Once they regained their strength and awareness, they were free to take flight again. These small acts of care also reflect a much bigger story. Cardinals are more than beautiful flashes of red in the landscape. They eat insects, consume fruits and seeds, contribute to seed dispersal, and play their own role in the interconnected food web that sustains healthy ecosystems. Predators such as hawks are an important part of that natural balance, too. But a bird stunned by a collision with a human-made structure is temporarily placed at an unnatural disadvantage. By giving these cardinals a safe place to recover, Eli wasn't interfering with nature—he was helping them recover from a human-related hazard so they could return to it. For Animalkind, these moments embody something fundamental to our mission: when the human and animal worlds intersect, compassion gives us the opportunity to make that intersection a little safer. Sometimes protecting wildlife begins with something as simple as noticing, caring, and giving a small life another chance to fly.

Benny - Stopping Matters

Rescued NOVEMBER 2023

Eli came across a squirrel that had been hit by a car and was injured and terrified. When Eli picked him up, the little squirrel clung tightly to him, scared and in pain. Eli took him to safety and gave him a name: Benny. Finding Benny was only the beginning. Determined to get him professional care, Eli drove from one veterinary hospital to another, visiting at least three facilities in search of someone who could treat an injured wild squirrel. Each time, Benny was turned away. The experience revealed a difficult reality of wildlife rescue: wanting to help is not always enough. Injured wild animals can fall into a gap between emergency veterinary care, wildlife rehabilitation, and the resources available to the people who stop to help them. Benny's story stayed with Eli because it represented exactly that gap. Roads are part of our everyday lives, but for wildlife they can be dangerous places where the human and natural worlds collide. When an animal is injured, the difference can sometimes come down to whether someone notices—and whether the right help is available when they do. Benny is part of the reason Animalkind believes compassion must be paired with action: helping people find resources, supporting those equipped to care for wildlife, and building stronger connections between animals in need and the people willing to help them.

Another Rescue

Rescued February 2025

It happened again. Another bird was injured and unable to fly—and once again, Eli stopped to help. He gently brought the frightened bird to safety and gave it the time, protection, and care it needed to recover. What might seem like a small moment reflects something at the heart of Animalkind: when an animal needs help, someone has to choose to notice. For Eli, that choice has become second nature. Whether it is a bird, a squirrel, or another animal in distress, he believes compassion begins by simply showing up. Another bird. Another rescue. Another chance to return to the sky.

Doe & Fawns

Rescued Spring 2026

Over time, Eli noticed mother deer seeking refuge on his property to give birth to their fawns and care for them during their most vulnerable early days. He welcomed their presence and did what he could to give them the space and safety they needed. But there was another concern. Eli would occasionally discover arrows on his property, evidence of bow hunting nearby. Worried that deer and other wildlife wandering beyond his land could encounter danger, he began looking for ways to encourage the animals to remain in safer areas and away from neighboring properties. For Eli, protecting wildlife was about recognizing that, for a brief moment, his home had become their sanctuary, too. Watching a mother deer choose a safe place to bring her fawn into the world reinforced a belief that would later become part of Animalkind: sometimes helping wildlife means simply giving them the space to live, grow, and move through the world safely.

Why Paying Attention Matters

Every day, animals cross paths with people—on our roads, in our neighborhoods, and in our own backyards. An injured wild animal, a frightened stray, or an animal that appears neglected may need help, and simply noticing can be the first step toward getting that help.

Taking action doesn't always mean intervening yourself. It can mean keeping a safe distance, contacting a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or animal-care professional, reporting an animal in danger, or helping connect the situation with the appropriate local resources.

At Animalkind, we believe compassion begins with awareness. Notice. Care. Speak up. Find the right help. Sometimes making a difference begins simply by refusing to look the other way.

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